Qld police bolster oyster patrols

Thieves have stolen thousands of oysters from Queensland's Moreton Bay, costing producers more than $30,000 annually and prompting police to announce a crackdown.

Oyster growers have reported their goods being stolen from leases across the bay, off the coast of Brisbane, for years and officers have found piles of shells and a stolen boat used in illegal harvests, police say.

Senior Constable Steve Ackroyd has asked those using the popular waterway to give authorities the registration details of vessels seen near oyster leases as police also increase patrols in the areas targeted by thieves.